WTOP takes on the Wizards’ shootout (Video)

It's a day for bragging rights in Washington as the Wizards hosted
local media stations for a shootout at the Verizon Center. WTOP's J.J. Green,
Andrew Mollenbeck, Dave Preston and Megan Cloherty represented us on the court.

WTOP's Dave Preston and Andrew Mollenbeck put on their game faces for the shootout. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)

WASHINGTON – It’s a day for bragging rights in Washington as the Wizards hosted local media stations for a shootout at the Verizon Center. WTOP’s J.J. Green, Andrew Mollenbeck, Dave Preston and Megan Cloherty represented us on the court.

It was a scrappy group full of hope and energy. Reporter Andrew Mollenbeck talked about his strategy going into the competition.

“It’s all in the legs. That’s what I’m worried about. I’ve just got to get it to the hoop,” he said.

National security correspondent J.J. Green missed the top ten by one shot. He described his mental preparation ahead of the shootout.

“I have to figure out to how use my new tennis shoes. And figure out how to use these amazing looking clothes to help me shoot a ball … I haven’t picked up the basketball in a few years,” said Green.

Sports anchor Dave Preston has been in this kind of high pressure situation before.

“Make them and take them. I was actually the 1987 Hillsborough County, New Hampshire ‘Make it, Take it’ champ because we didn’t have enough kids to play basketball,” said Preston.

With that raw talent, we entered the timed event — shooting from both wings and the top of the arc. The team fell a little short. In the single digits actually…

All four local TV stations, Comcast Sports, 106.7 The Fan and WTOP competed in the event.

After we each had our shot at glory, team members reflected on the competition.

“I did figure out why I never made it to the NBA. And that would be too short and lack of talent,” Mollenbeck said.

In the interest of accuracy, we’ll report 106.7 The Fan employees won both the dunk contest and the shootout. We tip our hat to them. But as J.J Green says, there’s always next year.

Check out more videos of dunking blunders in the gallery under the main photo of this story.